Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav’s declaration of 2026 as Agriculture Year sets an unambiguous moral and economic compass for Madhya Pradesh: when the farmer prospers, the state prospers. The slogan Samruddh Kisan, Samruddh Pradesh is not framed as rhetoric but as a measurable agenda, backed by three year targets, district wise action, and convergence of all agriculture linked departments.
The vision rests on three intertwined planks: higher farm incomes, large scale rural employment, and global visibility for Madhya Pradesh’s agri produce. To this end, the roadmap prioritises farm mechanisation, capacity building through training and exposure visits, expansion of horticulture, food processing units, creation and strengthening of FPOs, low interest credit, micro irrigation, livestock and fisheries, and stronger market linkages so that farmers receive fair and competitive prices. Parallel emphasis on climate compatible agriculture, sustainable practices, millets, biodiversity conservation, and natural and organic farming aims to make growth resilient rather than extractive.
A notable feature is the insistence on research, innovation, and digital systems to push state produce into national and global value chains. From modernised mandis linked to eNAM and transparent auctions, to graded and packaged produce that can command better prices, the strategy seeks to move farmers up the value ladder instead of leaving them confined to raw commodity sales. The use of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund support for post harvest infrastructure and agri assets further strengthens this structural shift.
Equally bold is the commitment to expose farmers to best practices within India and abroad, including study visits to leading agrarian states and countries like Israel and Brazil known for cutting edge agriculture and water management. By asking departments of farmer welfare, cooperation, animal husbandry and dairy, rural development, horticulture, food processing, energy, renewable energy, fisheries, and irrigation to work in tight coordination, the Chief Minister is clearly pushing for a whole of government approach.
The thematic calendar for 2026 reads like an atlas of agrarian possibilities. From skill development and custom hiring conferences in Narmadapuram, soybean, rice, sugarcane, cotton, chilli, and vegetable festivals across Seoni, Sagar, Khargone, Barwani and others, to state level conclaves on natural farming, dairy, fisheries, FPOs, digital agriculture, rose and flower festivals linked to an international rose competition and Simhastha 2028, almost every month carries focused engagements. These events combine trade fairs, buyer seller meets, seminars, roadshows, and recognition of field functionaries and progressive farmers, creating an enabling ecosystem around the farmer rather than viewing him in isolation.
By 2027 28, dozens of mandis are to be fully upgraded as eNAM platforms, with cleaner yards, better grading, packing, and auction systems, helping Madhya Pradesh’s produce claim a larger share of national markets. The push to tackle stubble management, link FPOs with dairy, encourage cooperative based agri startups, and expand floral cultivation statewide reflects an imagination that goes beyond cereals to a diversified, entrepreneurial farm economy.
If implemented with sincerity and administrative discipline, Agriculture Year 2026 could mark an inflection point: from subsidy centric agriculture to aspiration centric agriculture. Dr. Yadav’s call is clear, treat the next three years as a mission period where every policy, institution, and innovation bows to a single test: has the farmer’s income, dignity, and opportunity truly grown?
